chapter thirty-nine
Before leaving Casa Blanca, Big Al gave explicit orders to the other men in the house. The cocaine delivery was expected soon and he told Berto to call the men who usually unloaded the drugs and tell them there was a delay and not to come.
He made it clear he did not want anyone else to know that they had captured a Canadian policeman until they were completely finished with him. He was not risking any chance of a rescue and told them to unload the truck and stash the cocaine in the tunnel themselves.
El Pero quickly suggested that Jack should be guarded continuously and volunteered for the job. Big Al agreed.
Sanchez rolled his eyes at the other men. He knew El Pero was using Jack as an excuse to get out of the physical labour involving the drug delivery. Being Big Al’s favourite nephew has its privileges …
From his perch on the tower, Adams saw a coordinated flurry of activity. “Something is going on,” he yelled down to Rubalcava. “The two tan-coloured SUVs from the farmhouse joined the crew-cab pickup at the fruit stand. In total I count six … no, eight, guys getting out and having a confab with each other. The SUV with the snipers has also moved closer and is perched on another hill facing the fruit stand.”
“What do you make of it?” asked Rubalcava.
“I don’t know … hang on, some of the guys at the fruit stand are getting back in their vehicles again.”
“Maybe a shift change or something?”
“Yeah, maybe that’s — fuck that! They’re setting up a textbook military ambush for a crossfire situation!”
“I’m a policeman, not a soldier. What are they doing?”
“Son of a bitch, Jack!” cried Adams aloud. “Why the hell did I ever let you go in there?”
“Tell me what you see!”
“I’ll tell you what I see,” said Adams glumly. “I see professionals preparing to take someone out. They’ve driven the crew-cab truck a short distance down from the fruit stand and parked it sideways over a hill to block the road. They’ve also hidden guys with weapons on each side of the road leading up to the truck. If anyone comes along, the guys in the ditch open up on both sides, as well as from behind. If the person manages to survive and steps on the gas, they’ll be finished off when they reach the truck, where they’ll also be shot at from the front.”
“Is the ambush designed for someone heading south to the main road?”
“No … I wish it was. It would give me hope Jack is still alive. The ambush is for someone who would be heading north off the main road.”
“You think Jack —”
“Yeah, I think he was burned. Now they’re setting up an ambush in case someone tries to find him.”
“Those shots we heard …”
“I know,” replied Adams. “I don’t think they were shooting at tin cans. At this point I’m thinking he’s dead. Christ, we don’t even know what’s over those hills. Could be several houses.”
“I know these back roads a little. Maybe there is another spot we could use to try and confirm where Casa Blanca really is.”
Adams agreed and descended the tower. They both drove in silence until they returned to the main highway.
“Which way,” asked Adams harshly, angry with himself that he hadn’t somehow stopped Jack.
“Go west away from the fruit stand. I think farther down there is another road that goes north toward the border.”
“I’m sure they’ll have it guarded, as well.”
“Perhaps, but maybe we will find another hill in the vicinity to give us a different view.”
Adams was pulling out onto the highway when he slammed on the brakes. Off in the distance, a telltale cloud of dust told of a vehicle racing toward the area of the fruit stand.
“That looks like it is coming from the same road they took Jack down,” said Adams. “I’m going to drive past and take a look.”
Adams drove slowly and was rewarded when they passed the fruit stand and saw Big Al’s SUV approaching the highway.
“Maybe he is still alive,” said Adams, excitedly. “Big Al might be returning him. What do you think?”
“I don’t know,” replied Rubalcava. “Perhaps everything is okay. Maybe the ambush is only a precaution because they brought Jack to Casa Blanca.”
“You would have thought they would have had it set up to begin with,” noted Adams.
“Perhaps it was an afterthought.”
“Jack mentioned a delivery was to be made this afternoon. Maybe they do it to make sure nobody is following whoever does the delivery. It might have nothing to do with Jack.”
“Possible. That makes more sense. Let’s hope you’re right.”
“I’ll drive slow. If Jack is in Big Al’s SUV, they should be passing us on the way back to Juarez any minute.”
A short time later, both Adams and Rubalcava breathed a partial sigh of relief as Big Al’s silver SUV went racing past them.
Damien and Lance Morgan sat beside each other at a picnic bench in Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach Park overlooking English Bay. Across from them sat Miguel and Ramiro, who had requested they meet again in the afternoon after their first initial encounter that morning.
Both Miguel and Ramiro were each sipping on a bottle of cola, after assuring Damien they would be receiving an important message any minute in regard to Jack Taggart.
That there were numerous members of Satans Wrath in the area providing security did little to impress Miguel and Ramiro. Where they came from, such security was common to protect the top drug lords. What they did find amusing were the counter-surveillance teams put in place to ensure they were not being followed by the police. In Mexico, they used the police as their own bodyguards.
Damien, along with other members of Satans Wrath, were frequently watched and photographed by the police. For Damien it did not particularly bother him much, but with the advice he had given to murder Jack Taggart, he did not want to risk that his potentially new business partners might say something that could be picked up by the police through parabolic microphones or any other listening devices.
Damien was also curious as to whether the police knew about Miguel and Ramiro. The fact they were not being followed did not necessarily indicate the police didn’t know them. He had correctly theorized the police might not be conducting surveillance for fear of jeopardizing Taggart’s undercover role. If the police surveillance was discovered by Miguel and Ramiro, the timing of the sudden police interest with the arrival of Taggart into their midst would be too coincidental.
Miguel excused himself to look at a message he received on his BlackBerry. When he did, he smiled and held the device out for Damien and Lance to see a picture.
“I have been told to ask you if you think this man is still dangerous,” said Miguel.
Damien and Lance looked at Jack’s naked body lying on a floor and scrutinized his face.
“Is it him?” asked Lance. “With all that blood and shit, it’s —”
“It’s Taggart,” said Damien. “I saw him in court last month. There’s no doubt.”
“Looks like they did a real number on him first,” added Lance.
“Yeah, he doesn’t exactly look his best, that’s for sure.” Damien looked at Miguel and smiled. “You can let Big Al know that I no longer think he is dangerous.”
“Good,” replied Miguel, looking pleased. “I am also to find out if you would like any questions asked of him?”
“What do you mean,” asked Damien, glancing at the picture again. “Isn’t he dead?”
“No, not yet. We will torture him for a few days to find out everything he knows before we allow him to die.”
“How can you be sure he will tell you the truth?” asked Lance.
“We can be very persuasive.” Miguel gave a smug smile. “Besides, he is not that strong. I was told when my boss touched him with a cattle prod only once, he passed out.”
“Big Al nailed him with a cattle prod?” replied Damien, now understanding why Jack was naked in the picture.
“Actually it was my boss,” replied Miguel. “He is called El Pero and works for Big Al, who is the one who asks the questions.”
“It looks like they beat his head in,” noted Lance.
“Yes, but he will survive to tell us what we wish to know. I am told he will receive a doctor’s care to keep him alive for as long as we want. Very few men die without telling us what we wish to know.”
“I know this guy,” said Damien. “He won’t break easily. If he does talk, I am sure it will be a combination of lies to distort the truth. Something to disrupt our organizations and send us on wild goose chases. I think you should kill him immediately. Same for the girl you told me about. What if they are rescued? I am sure someone knows he was picked up by Big Al or El Pero or whoever.”
“We are certain nobody knows where he is. Even if they did, Taggart and the girl would be killed immediately if there was any sign of a rescue attempt. He is handcuffed to a pipe and being guarded in a house in the middle of a desert with many armed men, including trained commandos. Outside of the house are more professional soldiers hired for security. There is no chance he could be rescued. Also, Big Al and El Pero are well-protected in Mexico. They would never be arrested for killing anyone,” said Miguel.
“That’s good to hear, but as far as questioning him about my club, like I said, I am sure he will simply tell a pack of lies.”
“You may be right, but it is not only questions about what he knows about us we will be asking. We wish to make an example of him to prevent other police officers from interfering,”
“By killing him I can guarantee there will be a lot of police attention,” said Damien. “Although, under the circumstances, I can see you have no choice.”
“The police will not be so eager when we kill a few people who are close to them,” said Miguel.
“People close to them?” asked Damien.
“Yes. We do it in my country all the time. Killing policemen is nothing significant, but killing their families is. Those are the type of questions we will be asking him.”
“Questions about his family?” said Lance.
“Yes. We will also be asking him the names of wives and children belonging to the people he works with. Big Al has already asked him if he has a wife or children. He has told Big Al he does not, but we will find out. Perhaps you know if —”
“Messing with a cop’s family is a bad idea,” said Damien. “Asking questions in that regard is like digging your own grave.”
“What do you mean?” asked Miguel.
“Have you ever been to a bullfight?” asked Damien.
“Yes, many times,” replied Miguel. “In Mexico it —”
“Then you should know if you play with the bull, you get the horns. All it takes is one rogue cop to seek revenge … and I am not talking about legal revenge.”
“Our people are well-protected in Mexico,” interjected Ramiro. “We have done this many times. It is not a problem.”
“You do not think it will be a problem?” replied Damien, looking at Lance and raising his eyebrows.
“Not at all,” said Miguel. “So with that in mind, do you know if this man is married or if he has children?”
“I only know that he works for the RCMP Intelligence Section in Vancouver,” replied Damien.
“I see. Well, perhaps we should meet again tomorrow. Then I will tell you what we have learned so far and perhaps you will think of something you would like us to find out from him.”
Damien nodded in agreement and said, “Stay here and somebody will explain what steps you need to take to set up tomorrow’s meeting.”
As Lance and Damien walked away, Lance said, “I take it you had a reason for not telling them Taggart’s wife’s name is Natasha and she’s a doctor?”
“Hell, yes, I have a reason. There is no way I want any of that to come back on us. I meant it when I said they would be digging their own graves.”
“I agree with you there. These guys have a lot to learn about the cops in this country.”
“No shit. They don’t seem to appreciate how much they’re crossing the line. How many other cops out there have Taggart’s mentality? I’m not afraid to face our court system or some cop who follows the rules, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want someone like Taggart coming after me if I fucked with his family.”
“Still thinking about going into business with them?” asked Lance, with a jerk of his thumb back toward Miguel and Ramiro.
“That’s the dilemma. We have a great opportunity to make a lot of cash, but at the same time, killing Taggart could generate a lot of heat.”
“A hell of a lot if they start knocking off wives and kids.”
“If they do, we’ll immediately sever all ties. I need to think about this. Maybe convince them to wait a while after they kill Taggart and see what comes of it. I was thinking if they killed him down there, it might not cause too much heat up here. There is huge potential for financial growth with these guys, but they need to be educated.”
“Sounds to me like you just tried. I don’t think they were listening. If they do start killing cops’ families … what do you think will come of it?”
“Something those two clowns could probably never imagine.”